“Top Chef” Recap: Episode 4.10 “Serve and Protect”

Another one bites thedust — As the chefs prepare for the day’s challenges, Stephanie reflects onNikki’s exit.

Stephanie: It’s reallysad to see Nikki go down in flames. You know the stakes are high, and at thispoint the chefs lefts are at a really high level.

Everyone is still tired from being up 40-plus hours straighton the wedding-from-hell catering marathon. The boys’ egos, in particular, arestill bruised. Despite the hug-out, Spike and Dale aren’t going to takeadvantage of California’snewly legalized same-sex marriage anytime soon.

Spike: Dale is alittle bitch. His “I’m not here to make friends” routine, why wouldyou want to be the outcast and act like an asshole?

Um, takes one to know one?

Dale, in the meantime, doesn’t care that the rest of thehouse thinks he is an ass. He is focused on the task at hand. That task isapparently putting as much hair product on his head as humanly possible.

I swear, now that lesbo-hawk rocking chefbian Jenniferis out of the competition, the men in the house use more styling products thanthe women.

So, who comes along to buck the trend of tiredness andtension? Oh, come on, you know it’s Andrew.

Andrew: Everyonein the house is all beat down — except for me who is still all crazy. I woke uptoday with a f—ing fire inside my stomach. Like, either I am going to stabsomebody or I’m going to make some amazing food.

Whew. Am I relieved he said “fire” instead of whatelse he could have woken up with in the morning. Cough, culinaryboner, cough. Moving on. Quickly.